


Envisage

by IWriteAndIKnowThings



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: #BroGoals, Adrien Agreste Needs Help, Adrien Agreste is afraid, Adrien and Nino are bros af, Alya is bae, Alya is not afraid, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Bullying is not appreciated, Confident Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Dark themes guys be careful what you read okay, F/F, F/M, Hot Mess Marinette, Marinette is brave, No one knew what a sweet sinner this girl is, POV Adrien Agreste, Protect Adrien Agreste, She protecc, She won't hesitate to beat you up, She would die for her bestie no shit, Somebody get him smelling salts because OMGs who is Ladybug, They are childish and the girls are done, We Are All Alya Césaire, bunch of connected yet unconnected brave Marinette fics, most importantly what the frick frack didly dack, she attacc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-06 18:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18394031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IWriteAndIKnowThings/pseuds/IWriteAndIKnowThings
Summary: Sometimes, the mask gives you a reason to be the hero, even if you aren't.Ladybug seemed to be that way. Like the mask was her obligation and duty, that being a hero wasn't an honour; it was her contribution to the world just like any other through their occupations.To Chat Noir, the mask was an opportunity to live, to leave behind his duty and obligations. It gave him a reason to be a hero, even if he often felt that he didn't deserve to be one.Marinette, however, defines what being a hero is. A different kind of Ladybug he'd failed to acknowledge.Maybe..... it's just a little too late.****A.k.a Marinette can kick ass and it's too much for the sunshine child to handle. Meant to be crackfic but it turned serious LOLBunch of Mari-being-brave fics okay they're not connected(though some may be)





	Envisage

**Author's Note:**

> GuYS I WactHED Silencer
> 
> *loud pterodactyl screeching*
> 
>  
> 
> WHAT DOES LUKA EVEN THINK HE'S DOING TO MOI CHILD
> 
> sHoO, STay aWAy FROm MARIneTte you good looking, absolutely divine, amazing, perfect person for her
> 
> *wailing*Oh my OTP
> 
> I thought Luka would look good with Kagami thassal, but after this ep I'm just seriously considering Lukanette guys, he's just so sweet, that confession tho 
> 
> #GiveLukaAGrammy #HurryUpAdrien #It'sWarNow #MariDEDduPAINCHAINED

It's a pleasant evening when the students of Collège Françoise Dupont take leave for the day. The sun is setting lazily, trying to fight against the drowsiness of the never-ending cotton candy clouds. A low hum of breeze steals away a dry, browning leaf from an aging tree that resides opposite to the school, and rests the said leaf on the footpath. The leaf shivers as the wind turns cold.

The students that depart tug on their scarves a little harder, pull their jackets on a little closer and fix their hats a little tighter.

Our tale begins with four truants who exit lastly, bantering and laughing as they make their way down the long flight of the marble staircase. Two boys, one blonde with handsome, chiseled features and green eyes, challenges the other to see who can reach the bottom of the stairs first. It is not a spoken challenge, but both the boys engage into the dare with mutual understanding. The other boy, a bit darker in skin tone, pushes his glasses further up his nose before shooting a playful smirk towards his friend.

As their friends race down the stairs, the two girls giggle quietly at their childish antics. Each boy declares his own victor at the end, and the girls cannot help but roll their eyes, fondness blooming in their chests as the boys swat at each other playfully. The blonde boy- Adrien- waits for his limousine, and as per everyday's custom, his companions stay till he leaves. He's learnt not to speak against their wishes, knowing full well how stubborn they can be when it comes to his personal insecurities. 

His best friend of two years, Nino Lahiffe, throws an arm around his shoulder nonchalantly and inquires if he's free to hang out.

"Sure, I'm free after six," Adrien shrugs, throwing a sideways glance questioningly.

"What're you doing  _till_ six?" 

"Homework....?"

"Nerd."

" _I'm_ the ne-  _You_ wear glasses," Adrien points and then attempts to poke his glasses. Nino dodges. (but barely)

" _You_ wear contacts." Nino deadpans, making his girlfriend, Alya Cesaire, laugh at his side. "Also, you stereotypical jerk."  

Adrien stifles back a sharp punning retort for the sake of the latter girl's irritabile nature towards puns, but gazes at her with mirth, giving her a glimpse of his intent. Marinette snorts as soon as the realization dawns on her and sticks her finger in front of his nose, wagging threateningly.

"Adrien Agreste, if you pun, you know it will be the last whole sentence you utter on this planet, so help me-"

She's huffing with what seems to be affectionate, pretend anger that came almost immediately, and Adrien cannot help but egg her on some more, a wide smile (smirk!) stretching along his face while doing so.

"Ah, but you  _know_ you love my puns, Mari-"

"-you can be well assured that I don't-" She cuts in, crossing her arms, but Adrien doesn't desist his flow of words.

"-You've got to admit that they're very thoughtful, apt for the situation, _very_ funny-"

"-they're not!" She protests, but Adrien pays no heed:

"You could almost say that they _are_ quite....." Her eyes widen in horror as he leans a little towards her, letting her board his train of thought. "...... _punderful._ "

When the last syllable ends, her face takes on a variety of expressions, as though she's having a hard time deciding how she's feeling, but a low groan erupts from the bottom of her throat reflexively. Alya and Nino laugh quietly to themselves, but Adrien has long decided that it's no fun punning at those who aren't in the slightest as expressive as Marinette.

Now, back in the day, when Marinette was still fifteen, she'd barely speak intelligible verses to him for reasons unknown. He just brushed it off as celebrity issues, and soon enough she became one of his closest friends.

(Adrien always prided himself for being able to gain her friendship despite being socially inept three-fourths of the time)

"I think Adrien's all out of good puns," Marinette remarks bitterly. "He's getting worse by day. He must be coming down with something."

Nino chuckles and makes a cuckoo gesture with his hands. "That I worry about, my dear,"

Adrien socks him with his shoulder and earns a sharp _ow, bro_ and a mock glare. The bespectacled boy rubs the spot narrowing his eyes at his best friend. 

"You traitor." Adrien hisses. "You told me we'd be pun-bros _fur_ life."

"I don't know what _kabedon._ " The statement is made without batting an eyelash. Marinette stares with disbelief. "But it appears as though I have _ant-_ gered the mademoiselles with my _cat_ chy puns."

 Adrien's smirk is plastered right back on. There's silence as the boys fist bump and the girls fixate their gazes sternly on the ground, resigning to their fate.

" ** _I_** think you've been influencing the sunshine child, Nino," Alya admits after a beat. "I remember gentleman Adrien Agreste in tenth grade."

Marinette sighs along dreamily. " _So refined._ "

Adrien sticks out a tongue. He is harrumphing haughtily as the girls recite his perfume commercial.

"...... _Radiant. Carefree. Dreaaaamy....._ " Marinette sings the _dreamy_ part, drawing slow, imaginary curls along the chilly air. "...... _Adrien, the punner._ "

And all four of them break out laughing, Alya thumping her back with loud guffaw.

"Wh- You ruined it!" Adrien cries, but he cannot find himself telling it with as much force as he wanted it to be received. "My perfect, perfect, handsome visage!"

"You were. Now you're just a dude with looks."

" _Perfect_ and _punning._  I'm the dream of every girl. You're just _jealous._ "

"Narcissistic," Nino grins. "You should be Narcissus in the year end community play, bro."

"He's Adonis, babe," Alya corrects. "Literal golden child with gentlemanly manners till you came along and made him..... whoever this upstart is."

Adrien opens his mouth to respond, preferably something sarcastic to outdo the brunette when the air visibly chills.

He stiffens, jaw snapping shut at an alarmingly fast rate that his friends knit their brows at him worriedly.

His cat senses are tingling _painfully._ He wants to- _needs_ to evacuate everyone. He needs to get _every last soul somewhere far away._

A shrill scream beats him to capturing his friends' attention, and the four teenagers pivot on the balls of their feet in a 180, turning backwards to the source of the sound, adrenaline already starting to secrete should the situation arise when they had escape and think on their feet. 

" _Akuma?_ " Alya whispers instinctively in disbelief. He could almost feel everyone's heart palpitate. Her voice is so careful and contained, as though the utterance of the name itself would provoke the stuff of nightmares of every Parisian. Her lean fingers reach for her bag, twitching ever so slightly with the anticipation. 

"It's been two years since we last saw an akuma," Marinette breathes out. "It _can't_ be. Hawkmoth is _gone._ "

"Maybe it's _not_ Hawkmoth?" Nino quiets beside him. "Maybe- Maybe something _less_  supervillain-ish."

It's not a suggestion, Adrien realises. Nino is trying hard to believe what he's saying. He _needs_ to.

Yeah, years of living in a magically terrorised City of Love can do that to people.

Although nobody is speaking, the four know that they're calculating the odds.

"No shit." Alya is the first to recover, quick to deduce. "It's _criminal activity_. We're in the premises." There's annoyance in her voice, irritation, for letting her mind wander to the magical wars again. She flings off her bag in one smooth motion and whips out her phone. There's fire in her eyes that shows steely determination- Adrien is _glad_ he's not at the receiving end of it- but he knows that journalist Alya is back in action.

Maybe his Chat Noir skills are a bit rusty, because he doesn't find himself reacting as quickly as the dark-skinned girl till another scream erupts from the same direction, particularly seeming closer than the last.

"We should get to safety if this involves criminals, don't you think?" Marinette shifts uncomfortably."Wouldn't want to get involved if there's a cross-fire or something. We should move into the scho-"

She's already walking back the way they exited the school. Adrien nods wisely and begins in her direction, trying to get Nino in tow-

_" **Please, stop! Somebody-!"**_

Then the voice drops so abruptly that makes everyone's blood run cold.

* * *

 Adrien quite frankly does not remember consenting to climb into an over-sized trash can with four of his friends, but fear is a powerful weapon of making even the most rational person do the unthinkable.

A pitiful howl erupts outside, begging and screaming in French, English, Spanish. Incoherable sobbing, sounding like the appeasal after a failed tantrum. 

**_"I-I....P-Please, do-do-n't-t do th-i-is! AGH-ohmygod PLEASE-_ ** **_"_ **

What Adrien cannot comprehend is Marinette looking at him softly, just for a moment, and suddenly his heart constricts because he's seen the look on Ladybug's face long ago when Paris was still being a warground. 

It was a pity they never revealed their identities to each other afterwards, or saw each other.

Marinette's gaze was pretty close to Ladybug's when she was about to do something extremely stupid and dangerous and involved herself getting hurt, something he's known all through his superhero life. And there'd be no convincing her, so he'd just make sure to jump in front of her, and she'd get mad-

Wait.

"Mari _nette-NO-!_ " 

That's the last hiss Alya gives, making a wild grab for whichever part of her friend that lagged behind, struck with inertia, but she grazes the surface of her coat with her fingertips before retracting back her hand in the fear of giving away their hiding place. Nino manages to hold her down lest she jump out behind the ravenette. 

" _They've got four men and a hostage against Mari,_ " Alya panics to the darkness. "I......I think they're armed."

" _Police,_ " Nino breathes out harshly, voice wavering."C-Call them. My phone's dead."

Alya looks at her phone, which winks away the last of it's energy as well, dimming slightly into the lightless area before shutting down completely.

Adrien searches for his own phone, feeling the frayed end of his jeans biting into his skin as he crouches down, marking fading white lines when they moved.

"Hey, _you!_ " The designer outside screams, plummeting his heartbeat down to a zero: _she's out there, unprotected_. " _Who's there_?!"

Alya tips open the lid of their hiding place just to take one curious peek, and Nino tugs her down impatiently, hissing at her insatiable need to witness _everything._  Adrien wants to, too, the feeling is so, so, _so very_ mutual. It's like an impulse. There's adrenaline everywhere. 

_Calm, Adrien, calm._

"Wh-Who're you?! What are you doing to he- LET HER _GO-!_ " _Was that the sound of a gun loading?_

His phone call disconnects halfway through. 

No reception.

_Shit._

Well, what else could he have expected while he's hiding in a stuffy dumpster in a remote alleyway in Paris?

"P-Police." Alya declares. "Did they-?"

He acknowledges her half-finished question with a shake of his head. "No reception."

He could almost _feel_ Alya's torment as a scream- Marinette's, this time- reverberates through the thin plastic of their safe place, followed by one piercing gun shot. 

And after that, everything went eerily quiet, too quiet for a street brawl in an abandoned pathway, not even leaving behind sighs or gasps to show signs of existence of life.

The silence......It's almost deafening. Maddening. 

A howl rips itself from Alya's throat. There's a gust of fresh air, then darkening sun rays entering the dimly lit space and suddenly, it's much less congested. That's how fast his brain can catch up with what's happening. He's so panicked he cannot even stop Alya, and he's not sure whether he's pleased or betrayed that Nino is no less worse.

* * *

 

It was a perfect crime scene.

Blood, gore, weapons and hostage.

He doesn't know _whose_ blood it is. He doesn't even _want_ to know. But hell, it made him sick, made his stomach hurt with worry.

Alya is pulling at unconscious knocked out bodies screaming the name of the girl in question. She's frantic, tears spilling out as she slips her hand through bloodied tangle of limbs and lifeless faces. " _Marinette!"_

Nino just looks haunted as he tries to find reception on Adrien's phone. Adrien knows it won't work, because it. just.  _won't._  Like every clichéd crime scene. 

He grits his teeth in frustration.

_I swear to god, Marinette._

Alya shrieks as she pulls out one pale hand, milky in colour under the weight of the dead brutes. A frozen pair of blue eyes stares back. Nino gapes, stifling back a scream with the back of his hand.

Adrien wonders if it's too evil to be happy that it's only Rose Lavillant.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay this is one of my serious gigs so far alright
> 
> Please give me those cookies of confidence they're my lifeline and they motivate me to write :333
> 
> Thank you! Chu~!


End file.
